To dig or three and a lot of rain and sleet mixed in. I think you should be okay. All right. Youve got this covered all the way and we will check in with you more for sure. Lets get to the headlines. Metrorail will or will open tomorrow at 5 00 with service at above and the ground above and below station. Virginia Governor Terry mcauliffe declared a state of emergency and the university of maryland will be closed at 9 00 tonight and closed all day tomorrow. More closings will be coming in and we will scroll them on the bottom of the screen. City leaders are making big plans. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the city will have 200 plows out by 7 00 with drivers working 12 hour shifts to keep the roads clear and for the dc schools, the mayor said the city still has yet to come to a decision on whether ey and she said they want to see more forecast before they make that call. We have information that may need us to close the school by tonight, we will announce that if that happens. Is a good chance that we will also look at conditions in the morning. The mayor also said the city has a emergency plan in place and that means dc will offer emergency access to overnight warming sites for people that are homeless. From families at the Grocery Store to specialized emergency crews the preparations are in full force in Montgomery County, maryland. Janice park is live at fire station 32 with an inside look at the Specialized Team that will save you if you have an emergency during the storm. Reporter we are live at station 32 and this will be where people save you and Montgomery County if you get stuck in the snow. We see an ambulance and the task force is made up of Sheriffs Office and Montgomery County and you can see the other partners with county fire and rescue and the battalion chief and the internet command post. Some of these rescues will be extremely tricky. Some pictures of last years blizzard, they had to get very handy and they rescued a woman using a tractor trailer and a sled because they were in maryland and couldnt get there because the firetrucks were so big. This is why the task force is so important. We are joined by Montgomery County fire chief, scott goldstein. Tell me, you are prepared and you can see all these people. Tell me how one foot or more of snow can be a game changer and how difficult it can be. That is why pepco is joining the task force . 6 inches of snow, tire chains lose effectiveness. 1 foot of snow, any type of traction device is challenging. 12 inches or higher we anticipate a rough time getting to patients and to calls. With support from petco, Law Enforcement and highway services, we amassed resources. Snow plows, and fire rescue and police, together, we act as a team to deal with the incidents. We made it a plow to get to the fire apparatus but if we need to, its available. Those resources are committed through the other agencies and supported by fire and rescue and the enhanced services of Additional Resources and people on duty starting tonight at 5 00 and through the rest of the storm to have additional capacity. We know that we will take longer to get to events in a snowstorm like this. Reporter steve goldstein, we are so grateful you are here for us. The county is prepared but folks are preparing inside the bread isles. They are empty and were completely packed with people getting medicines at the pharmacy. Weve heard people say this is what we do in the dmv. We tend to freak out a little bit and thats why the stores were crowded at 3 00 this afternoon. Im kind of worried because if it is as big as they say, we have to get help to come and remove the snow. We do go into a quick panic mode in dc with snow and people do need medications. People will be here for that and the other essentials, as well. Reporter we hope too many wont go into panic mode but what you dont see is there will be at least six snow plows for the task force that will come at 7 00. Live in rockville, janice park, wusa9. That is a hard job and it just makes it that much harder. The airports are geg already been canceled ahead of the storm. We expect that number to take off as the night continues. The number at local airports continues to climb, including dallas and baltimore. Many were proactive to move the flights up toge dodth e storm. I was going to leave this evening but it was getting close so i drove to get my flight this morning and just be safe. That young man said he just cant miss the training. We will update our website and our app at wusa9. In new york city, they get ready for a winter storm smacked down with residents in Westchester County stocking up on supplies and the big apple could see as much as 20 inches of snow. Sanitation crews are working 12 hour shifts and the mayor has already canceled school for tomorrow. Lets get a check of the roads as people are trying to get home before the weather comes in. Allen all day and joins us with more on what you need to know if you are waiting for your loved one to get home. Now is a good time to try to get home . Reporter you want to leave as early as possible. If you are going on the roads, i see a delay on the inner loop of the beltway from pennsylvania avenue to root 355. With accidents, if someone is taking the inner loop, there will be a delay because of an accident by van doran street with backups to the Memorial Bridge and if someone is in baltimore, coming down southbound, there he will be late as well with route 198 having an accident. A lot of metro and rails are saying what they are doing. Metro bus, if you know someone on metro bus, they might be delayed with detours as we see the snow come in. On tuesday, they operate on a Severe Snow Service schedule and will only take the major roadways. Metro access is already close today and will close tomorrow. On the bre, there is a gps problem. They are running on time but its hard to track them. Metrorail is open until midnight and they will open at 5 00 tomorrow. It is the saturday schedule with trains running every 12 minutes and we will see the safetrack single tracking on the yellow and blue lines in virginia. Thanks. We want you to help us tell the story of this lateseason storm. Its critical for our coverage. Show your pictures and video. Send an email to snowday9 and share your pictures and video on our wusa9 Facebook Page. This snowstorm is sure to be a headache for anyone traveling. We will get an early start on tuesday with wake up washington starting at 4 00 a. M. And they will get you up to speed with the latest on snow conditions, more are. In the, everything you need to know is on our free wusa9 app and we have live radar so you can track the storm along with topper. Just a short time ago the Congressional Budget Office came out with the analysis of the republican bill to repeal and replace obamacare. What the Nonpartisan Office said, they estimate 14 million americans would lose coverage by next year. The number would climb to an estimated 24 million by the year 2026. This report is hours after President Donald Trump hosted a white house meeting with americans who say obamacare has failed them. Our rates are three times before obamacare. You will see rates go down, down and plans go up, up. The tried to win support from conservatives. They said the plan doesnt go far enough to strip away obamacare. White house officials will meet with far right republicans tomorrow. The white house is walking ck wiretap claim. Remember this . The president went on twitter to claim that former president barack obama had wiretapped the phones at trump tower just before the election . Trump called obama a bad or sick guy. He found that the president cited no evidence in a spokesman for mr. Obama denied wiretaps. Sean spicer today said that President Donald Trump used the word wiretap in a broad sense, to mean surveillance and other activities and spices said President Donald Trump was not accusing mr. Obama of being personally involved. A teacher at the Georgetown Day School is in serious trouble. Mark gifford faces a number of child sex charges and dc police are telling us today about the arrest that occurred on friday. Investigators said gifford had sexual contact multiple times with the female victims and police want to know if anyone else has been caught this. Give them a call if you have any other information. Two firefighters in Prince Georges County are recovering from injuries after the firetruck nearly fell on its side. This is a picture. The sidewalk collapsed under the vehicle in the truck was in riverdale responding to a house fire at the time. In Silver Spring, investigators are searching for the cause of a fire. Sky9 was on the scene for this fire that started on the second floor of an apartment with three people, two adults and a child taken to the hospital. Injuries are not believed to be lifethreatening. Utilities were cut off and there were about one dozen people who are displaced that the red cross is helping. We have some concerns. People are freaking out a little bit and for good reason. How will the Cherry Blossoms hold up . Good question. We will to experts at the National Mall in a little bit. A lot of you are worried about plants in will let you know how best to keep them protected. Right after the break, the latest snow projec a guilty plea from the former mayor of fairfax who admitted exchanging methamphetamines for drugs. He was addressed in he was arrested at a hotel from a sting. A tip was given using a dating website to set up sexual encounters in men with men in exchange for drugs. Prior to that, silverthorn was a substitute teacher in Fairfax County school. Strep parts of the midwes recovering from their own winter storm. In minnesota, have a snow and ice made it nearly impossible to see the roads. White out conditions sent cars spinning off the road. Snow fell in the carolinas and tennessee. What are we expecting and when . One other thing, you mentioned wind, but not a blizzard. People are tweeting blizzard 2017. There are blizzard warnings and watch is in new england and they may be confused about where they hour. Where they are. We will look at some moderate winds, not a good thing, either. Today, back in 1993 on this date we had superstorm. We have a similar problem because we had sleet mixing with snow. It only snowed six inches in dc and everyone said, why was it a superstorm . It may produce 22 storms in chattanooga, but where it was all snow, it hit 42 inches. That was a great storm. That is not that was different and much more powerful storm. It usually snows in march, its not that uncommon. The average 1. 3 inches, even at dulles, the biggest snow was 12 inches in 1891. 1942, 11. 5 inches. 1941, probably not. I dont think it will happen. Its hard to get more than four inches in dc. Now, heres the snowfall forecast. North and west of town, it is more like 12 in la plata and south of that, nothing. Heavy rain will roll through and if you are in la plata and waldorf, your best chance for snow is late morning and afternoon as cold air moves in behind the storm. A live lo dewpoint coming up and it will meet shortly and humidity will come in as the atmosphere become saturated. Light snow at 8 00 and not a problem driving. Heavy snow at 10 00 north and west, 812 west of the beltway. Temperatures will cut the accumulation. Its not an ice storm, you will have rain or sleet. It may refreeze the rest of the week and melt during the day and refreeze overnight in the morning. Here is the storm. The storm may die off and hand off the energy for the storm off the carolina coast to become very powerful storm over the next 24 hours. Precipitation south of town in la plata toward fredericksburg and its not reaching the ground. What is its a rapid strengthening of low pressure off the carolina coast and it has criteria, it has to drop 24 millibars in a 24 hour period. Pressure drops like crazy and it becomes a tremendous storm with blizzard warnings and high Wind Warnings in new england. It will generate winds up to 30 miles an hour behind the storm and im concerned about that because of snow on the trees. Model snow projection, yesterday the gfs was up here and now its back to reality. Now, it is going gangbusters and it will be a dynamic situation, so dynamic that it may overcome the temperatures at the surface being above freezing if it snows hard and fast enough. 8 00 tonight, a mix in la plata and fredericksburg and by 10 00, everything rolls through between 10 00 and tonight and 10 00 tomorrow morning. Those are the times to be off the road. Snow showers by 11 00 but nothing crazy. Snow tapers to snow showers tomorrow with flurries and snow showers on wednesday and even colder, 48 on wednesday and 39 but sunny and cold on thursday. The next seven days it will get warmer, eventually. St. Paddys day, mid40s. Snow or rain showers saturday and mid50s next monday and we will focus on that. People are excited about that. Im not the only one. People are out there with social media questions. Debra writes, when will it start with frederick and mount airy areas . When should she be home . Be home by 10 00. It will pick up quickly and become intense. Dont stretch to midnight, try to be home by 10 00. You are on the east side of 95 and only unter Winter Weather advisory. Not as much with rain and sleet and the start time is about 9 00. It might not be so bad. No. Not bad. Thanks, topper. The bullseye looks like western loudon county. Peggy fox joins us from leesburg where now it is a beautiful and sunny day. Reporter it has been sunny we are hearty folks and no one is panicking. Theyve been here before. We have daffodils and forsythia out in force. As you drive, you will see lots of this parked to the side with the roads waiting for the first flake. Shovels are selling like hot cakes. People are not panicking and western loudoun over the storm. This is the first time we are getting real snow. Reporter they are used to snowfall. Are you happy . Absolutely, im happy i havent ridden my snowmobile in about two years. Reporter they will be ready for what Mother Nature dishes out. They will sell just about anything at the Hardware Store. We are supposed to have a snow day. Reporter they have several sleds for all ages. Its exciting to get the snow. Everyone will be out playing and having fun. Reporter they have a variety of shovels. They are running short of other things, now. What do you have . Ice scrapers. Trying to get one for every truck but didnt quite make it. Reporter you bought them out . Just about. Reporter people have been coming to Nichols Hardware off main street for more than 100 years. Was founded by edward nichols. Why is it important to going . Reporter well, we celebrated 100 years a couple of years ago and it was opened in 1914. I like to keep it going, if i could pick its more difficult all the time. Reporter going to the loft, mr. Nichols manages the store and comes to work every day. He will be 87 next week, after the snow melt. Reporter how soon will the snow melt . We will have to ask topper. There were only there were only one dozen shovels in the Hardware Store when i bought this and i think that will sell out. Peggy fox, wusa9. It will get good use, for sure. A beloved local woman celebrating her 100 days birthday with the Harlem Globetrotters. Her advice for a long life is on the way. Right differently. Maybe thats why weve been ranked highest in cutomer satisfaction by jd power 4 years in a row. And now you can love fios too. Get 150 meg internet, tv and phone. All for 79. 99 per month, for the first year with a twoyear agreement. Its the only internet with equal upload and download speeds. Cable only offupers load speeds that are a fraction of the download speeds. Plus get hbo for a year and free multiroom dvr service for two years. Get the best. Go to getfios. Com the government is investigating what it said is the first u. S. Death linked a hoverboard fire. A 3yearold girl was killed in a house fire in harrisburg, pennsylvania this weekend. Officials said the blaze was ignited by a hoverboard charging at the time. Two others were critically injured. The harrisburg firefighter was killed on the way to the fire by an alleged drunken driver. She has to be one of the most active and famous 108year olds in the country. [ singing ] happy birthday to you she loves it. She had a microphone and everything. The Harlem Globetrotters came together to help virginia mclaurin celebrate her birthday at a charter school, and she was joined by the 15th female player in team history and other Harlem Globetrotters. The question, how did you make it to 108 . [ laughter ] cornbread, collard greens. [ laughter ] bring on the bacon . Yes we called it that back [ laughter ] she said and fat back. [ laughter ] i couldnt tell if she was being truthful or not or she was trying to pull our leg. That attitude has something to do with it. When this video went viral of her dancing with the obamas, we know that the globetrotters donated 108 tickets for Underprivileged Youth in the area. Laughter is one of the best ingredients to a long life. Absolutely. She is young at heart. [ laughter ] straight ahead, should we wear worried about the Cherry Blossoms . We will have a report. We should keep our eye on this storm. Topper is back with the latest t differently. Maybe thats why weve been ranked highest in cutomer satisfaction by jd power 4 years in a row. And now you can love fios too. Get 150 meg internet, tv and phone. All for 79. 99 per month, for the first year with a twoyear agreement. Cable only offupers load speeds that are a fraction of the download speeds. Plus get hbo for a year and free multiroom dvr service for two years. Get the best. Go to getf